(CNN) – Former Commerce Secretary Bill Daley, the unwilling co-star of a Monday attack ad from John McCain's campaign, told CNN he was "shocked" by the spot: "I always had a good relationship with [McCain] - or I thought I did."

Daley accused McCain of hypocrisy for attacking Obama on lobbyists: "When I was at [telecom company] SBC, I had to hire [McCain campaign manager] Rick Davis to see John McCain," he said. "He wouldn't see anyone unless you hired one of his lobbyist friends. Telecom was his and Rick Davis was his telecom lobbyist. That was in '02, '03, '04."

He said that McCain voted for his confirmation as Commerce Secretary, and pointed to the Arizona senator's public praise of his work in the Clinton cabinet.

(For instance, during a May 1998 confirmation hearing for another Commerce official, McCain said that since Daley's arrival, "relations for the department have been improving. Mr. Daley's frank, honest style and hard work have been reaping rewards." And in 2000, he pointed to Daley's "valiant effort to clean up the Commerce Department's reputation as a dumping ground for the politically connected.")

Said Daley Monday: "I think [McCain] has totally sold his soul to get elected. The things he found important in 2000 he isn't doing now."

soundoff(222 Responses)

FLewis

McCain/Palin are the biggest liers, cheaters, and the most dishonest people I have ever met. The people in Alaska don't like her. They say she is very mean. I'm sure with McCains temper and Palin's mean ways, those two will clase in a few weeks. Watch and see.

September 23, 2008 12:54 pm at 12:54 pm |

KC

And will the real McCain please stand up. Wake up people I know he was a POW but he realy does not care about the average American. As long as things are going his way he is fine, but when it's not, watch out! He is hot headed and shoots from the hip, please let us put someone in the highest office in the country that has some diplomacy!
Vote Obama, he has forsight and the wisdom to lead.

September 23, 2008 12:54 pm at 12:54 pm |

Billy

"I think [McCain] has totally sold his soul to get elected. The things he found important in 2000 he isn't doing now."

True words.

September 23, 2008 12:55 pm at 12:55 pm |

AEK

Lie/deny/ignore, lie/deny/ignore, lie/deny/ignore! It worked for eight years and got "W" elected twice. Same campaign folks, same tactics. All this from the McCain/Palin ticket running as outsiders!

Obama/Biden 2008!

September 23, 2008 12:57 pm at 12:57 pm |

aliou FL

That is why I believe Pows who say he sold out on America to the vietcon to get medical service and also to get better food and small attentions from his jailers.

McCain is a liar.

September 23, 2008 12:58 pm at 12:58 pm |

Tired of the Lies

Daley: "When I was at SBC, I had to hire Rick Davis to see John McCain. He wouldn't see anyone unless you hired one of his lobbyist friends. Telecom was his and Rick Davis was his telecom lobbyist."

Wow. Just, wow.

September 23, 2008 12:58 pm at 12:58 pm |

Dadedi

That sounds like the real McCain. A hypocrite, he has thrown all his friends under the bus just to get elected. He and Palin should start looking for jobs. Redneck votes will not be enough!

September 23, 2008 12:58 pm at 12:58 pm |

JD in NC

Here's a potential CNN poll. Ask highly placed or influential Republicans if they agree with the statement:

"I think [McCain] has totally sold his soul to get elected. The things he found important in 2000 he isn't doing now."

I think you'd be suprised. Just ask the people who worked in his 2000 camapign that WON'T support him now.

September 23, 2008 12:59 pm at 12:59 pm |

lola Planner, Houston, Texas

Amen–McCain HAS sold his soul, and devil thy name is Karl Rove!

September 23, 2008 01:00 pm at 1:00 pm |

Bruce

McCain wants one thing, and has even said so in his biography and that is to be President and he will do anything to get that....anything....
he is a man of no honor, and as a vetern of the same war he was a POW in , he is a disgrace to all of us....he is supposed to be an officer and a gentleman...and he has proven in this campaing to be neither.
Many of us will remember the TV show Maverick...and for thos younger the movie...well both are about gamblers and that is what MY definition of a Maverick is in McCain's case...he is a gamble.

September 23, 2008 01:00 pm at 1:00 pm |

Truth Be told

palin and mccain are truly birds of the same feather. how americans could truly believe their lies are beyond me! could it be they're just plain stupid and ignorant? perhaps so.

September 23, 2008 01:00 pm at 1:00 pm |

Vets Daughter

thats gonna leave a mark...

September 23, 2008 01:01 pm at 1:01 pm |

We The People !

This NEWS should be on the TOP of the ticker and not the rehashed Biden "news" on the McSenile ad.

September 23, 2008 01:01 pm at 1:01 pm |

bill b. from Stratford,Ct

Mcsame has sold his soul, this isn't a MAVERICK, its a poor excuse of a man. His whole campaign is nothing but lies, he picks some woman he just meet for 3 hours back in Feb., he's on tv whining about Obama not doing town hall meetings with him, so thats why he's lying on Obama. So what is he saying if a leader from another country doesn't meet with him or disagree with him, will he start a war, (WE CAN"T AFFORD THIS OLD SENILE GUY) in the white house

September 23, 2008 01:02 pm at 1:02 pm |

Mccain is a Liar

Mccain is a Liar that has Lobbyist running his Campaign! SO for SBC to be able to lobby Mccain they had to hire one of His friends to lobby mccain if this is Not Corruption then what is? Mccain Campaign is full of Lobbyist he is indebt to special interest. Who will Run Mccain's White House?

September 23, 2008 01:02 pm at 1:02 pm |

America think for you

$700 billion to bail out wall street how about main street? America do you realize that that $700 bilion that you will spend will be use to bail out Chinese banks and other foreign banks bad business and then they will sell these business back to us American. We should not let this to happen because the same mess will come back again in wall street. Wall street greed, big ceo payout need to have control over them. This $700 billion just show you that the republicans do not care. Congress please do not let George Bush rush you and us American into this mess. Bush has four months in power and he does not care of whatever mess that $700 billion will make.

September 23, 2008 01:03 pm at 1:03 pm |

mitchell

mccain campaign beyond sleazy! outright disgusting!

September 23, 2008 01:04 pm at 1:04 pm |

SicktoMyStomach!

YOu know what's sad? The typical voter saw the ad, packed it away in his/her brain, went to work and never really gets to know that it was all bs...that's what scares me, they stick little tidbits into the mind of the ignorant voter who blindly follows...

September 23, 2008 01:05 pm at 1:05 pm |

Country First and the people last

That is John McCain for you!!!! Republicans this is for you.

September 23, 2008 01:06 pm at 1:06 pm |

FemaleDemDisgustedbyMcPalin

The McCain of 2000 would have never supported the McCain of 2008! SHAMEFUL!

September 23, 2008 01:07 pm at 1:07 pm |

Anonymous

Good article, but Bill Daley was never mayor of Chicago, as the second paragraph suggests. He is the brother of the current mayor Richard M Daley. You don't have to post this, just fyi.

September 23, 2008 01:07 pm at 1:07 pm |

Rob

this proves again that the old? John McCain no longer exists and that he has personally turned this thing into a circus. There has only been one thing he has remained consistent with and that is his ability to continue lieing even after he is called to task on these things. He has as Daley put it sold his soul.

September 23, 2008 01:08 pm at 1:08 pm |

Frank, Dayton, Ohio

This quote from Daley about covers my feelings. The John McCain who seriously thought about running with Democrat John Kerry is gone, now trying to appease his conservative friends with his often untrue and at times even Clinton-esque in its parsing of words.

I might have considered voting for the old McCain, but this one I don't even recognize.

September 23, 2008 01:08 pm at 1:08 pm |

JusLaugh

McCain would throw anyone under the bus to win this election, it's not country first, it's ego first.